Stars in the Night by Cara Putman

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Stars In The Night
Summerside Press (July 1, 2010)
by
Cara Putman

Hollywood 1942. When attorney Audra Schaeffer's sister disappears, Audra flies to Hollywood to find her.

Any day Audra might have been flattered by the friendly overtures of Robert Garfield, a real-life movie star. But on the flight from Indianapolis to Hollywood, Audra can think of little else than finding her missing sister. When Audra arrives in the city of glitz and glamour, and stars, and learns her rising starlet sister has been murdered, all thoughts of romance fly away.

Determined to bring the killer to justice, Audra takes a job with the second Hollywood Victory Caravan.

Together with Robert Garfield and other stars, she crisscrosses the southern United States in a campaign to sell war bonds. When two other women are found dead on the train, Audra knows the deaths are tied to that of her sister.

Could the killer be the man with whom she's falling in love?

If you'd like to read an excerpt of Chapter 1 of Stars In The Night, go HERE.

Contest: Lots of opportunities to win and great prizes, and the grand prize contains some of Cara's favorite classic movies as well as all of her WWII novels: Launch Contest!

A Word From Cara:
I graduated from high school at sixteen, college at 20, and completed my law degree when I was 27.

My writing journey started in 2005 when I decided to write my first novel. Now I have eleven books published with more on the way.

People say I've accomplished a lot and that I must have life by the proverbial tail. Hardly! I grew up as a home schooled kid when home schoolers were misunderstood and oddities.

I struggle with balancing my writing and law career, plus being a good mom and wife.

I often fear people won't like my books.

I've walked through the deep pain of miscarriage.

Really, I'm just like you – I don't have it all together and have gone through tough times. But in His strength, I've discovered a strength I never knew I had. A strength I want you to discover, too.

In the end I'm just an ordinary mom who has seen God do some wonderful things as I've been obedient to step into the calling He's led me into.

Stars in the Night Background

Stars in the Night was an idea that had begun to percolate in my mind. I’d written two World War II series and was actively looking for my next setting. My husband, a huge World War II history buff, and I were kicking ideas around, and I’d decided Hollywood was probably the next place for me. I’d gone to the library and gotten a stack of research books when I got the call. An editor I knew but had never worked with wanted to know if I might be interested in a new line they were starting. As we talked, I got so excited. And then she emailed me their guidelines, which listed that Hollywood was a location they were interested in setting books.

Only God could have known ahead of time. But because I followed His prompting I was ready to run with an idea. Stars in the Night is the result.

Heidi Says . . . (edited 7/24/10 @ 8:22am) I finished this book last night, just in time for the end of this tour!  I really enjoyed it.  I love a book that combines mystery/suspense with light romance and this book did just that.  I enjoyed getting to know the character of Audra, and following along with her on the adventure to find her sister’s killer.

This book kept me guessing all the way to the end, when the “bad guy” was revealed.  It’s fun to try to figure out a mystery as you’re reading; but it’s no fun when you get to the end of a book, only to discover that you had it figured out from the beginning.  The fact that this book kept me guessing ‘til the end makes it a good book to me!

I also enjoyed the time frame in which this book was set.  It seems to me that most books are set either in modern times or very historical times.  The fact that this book was set in a period in recent U.S. history also appealed to me – it was something different from the norm.  Reading about Hollywood in the 1940’s was interesting and fun.

I will definitely be passing this book along to others to read and will be watching for more books by Cara Putman.  I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.